It's December 1979 in Washington DC, Britain's new Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is about to make her first big speech in the US. Before she does she arranges a meeting with another British icon, John Lennon – she has an offer for him that she believes could change the course of his life.

Whiskey and Soda debuts at The Stables Theatre in Hastings next week. Written by Ben Randall, directed by Jane Richardson its stars are Peter Miller and Sarah Nower.

Whiskey & Soda

Hugo Trebels directs Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff at The Stables Theatre from October 28th to November 5th and he plans that it will be a very special production of this iconic and Tony award-winner!

History professor George and his boozy wife, Martha return late one Saturday night from a cocktail party at the home of the college president. Martha announces that she invited another couple Nick and his wife, Honey, over for a nightcap.

The play is set on the campus of a small, New England university. It opens with George and Martha, coming home from a party at her father’s house. The two of them clearly care deeply for each other, but events have turned their marriage into a nasty battle between two disenchanted, cynical enemies. Even though the pair arrives home at two o’clock in the morning, they are expecting guests; the new math professor and his wife.

Of course, as it turns out, this new, young professor, Nick, actually works in the biology department. He and his wife, Honey, walk into a brutal social situation. In the first act, “Fun and Games,” Martha and George try to fight and humiliate each other in new, inventive ways. As they peel away each other’s pretences and self-respect, George and Martha use Nick and Honey as pawns, transforming their guests into an audience to witness humiliation, into levers for creating jealousy, and into a means for expressing their own sides of their mutual story. In the second act, “Walpurgisnacht,” these games get even nastier. The evening turns into a nightmare. George and Martha even attack Honey and Nick, attempting to force them into revealing their dirty secrets and their true selves. Finally, in the last act, “The Exorcism,” everyone’s secrets have been revealed and purged. Honey and Nick go home, leaving Martha and George to try to rebuild their shattered relationship.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff

Have you ever seen a show and wondered about a character’s backstory and what drives them?

In Becoming Carmen, Hastings’ new opera theatre company, Prologue Opera, present a prologue to Carmen. It's producers describe it as a new, innovative and unique piece of drama, illuminating the opera's well-known characters and propelling the audience into an abridged version of the original opera.

In part one, in a dimly-lit tavern in 1930s pre-revolutionary Spain, thge audience is presented with a cabaret style first act. Dialogue and music from a range of styles allow the characters in Carmen to reveal more about their lives, motivations and intertwined relationships.

Then part two is a fast-paced and enthralling reduction of the full original opera, within which the characters you now understand, take on greater meaning to stir the emotions like never before.

Book now at https://stablestheatre.co.uk/

Becoming Carmen

Take one gender-fluid young man, a funeral, a coffin and some colourful characters, then set it in a remote Irish village, add plenty of humour and you have the winner of the Stables new playwriting competition.

A black comedy set in the far West of Ireland in around 2000, this story involves lost loves and the darker side of Ireland’s recent history, all revolving around a family member returning for a funeral. This is Finian, who ran away from his violently abusive father, spent time in America and now lives in Dublin as a happily gender-fluid individual. 

Finn regards himself as a man who sometimes dresses and behaves as a woman, and this is one of those times. So his return raises hackles among some of the community as well a mixture of memories for his siblings, the adoring younger sister May and the elder sister Bride now flirting with a religious life. Meanwhile, the universally loathed father still manages to disrupt his own funeral, causing almost as much chaos dead, as he did when alive. 

A black comedy, but a comedy nonetheless!

First Bus To Ballinabeg

Combining the colour of Disney with the vivacity of Hollywood is one of the descriptions of Honk! It's a show that has been seen by an estimated six million people who have packed the seats of theatres across the world where around 8,000 productions of the show have been staged.

Honk was the winner of the Best Musical in the 2000 Olivier Awards!

With music by George Stiles and lyrics by Anthony Drewe Honk is coming to The Stables later this month. It's delightful and very funny, it’s a celebration of being different, and is sure to lift your spirits this Christmas if you come to see it.

A young, talented, energetic ensemble cast are behind this production. Its writers are also responsible for the new stage versions of ‘Mary Poppins’ and Half A Sixpence’. 

Other descriptions of Honk include:

“Marvellously funny, frequently touching, and constantly magical theatre piece"

"A great score and witty lyrics"

"A lovely musical for parents and children, a perfect mix for people of all ages."

Creative Team: 
Director – Chris Lacey –
Musical Director – Oscar Smith
Choreographer – Jackie Hutt
Design – Dee Harvey

Honk

Chris New sees himself as just a jobbing actor but once you've listened to this interview we're sure you'll agree he is much more than that. His first love is theatre because he relishes the link that gives him to his audience, he became an actor because one of his teachers told him he couldn't, his career has been "an act of contrary revenge" he says.

He's coming to The Stables in 2023 to run workshops for actors – he loves to teach. Then beyond that he'll be staging three plays he's in the process of writing.

But it back and listen to Stuart Baillie's interview with Chris as he retraces his story and recalls the people who have inspired and encouraged him and how being diagnosed with autism in his 40s has given him a whole new perspective on his life.

The Life and Times of Chris New

Stables Theatre Hastings

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